Some network-based computing service providers allow customers to purchase and utilize computing resources, such as virtual machine instances, on a permanent or as-needed basis. In addition to virtual machine instances, such computing service providers typically allow customers to purchase and utilize other types of computing resources. For example, customers might be permitted to purchase access to and use of file and block data storage resources, database resources, networking resources, and other types of computing resources. Utilizing these computing resources as building blocks, customers of such a network-based computing service can create custom solutions that provide various types of functionality, such as application hosting, backup and storage, content delivery, World Wide Web (“Web”) hosting, enterprise information technology (“IT”) solutions, database services, and others.
When launching certain types of computing resources, such as virtual machine instances, customers of service provider networks such as those described above are typically unable to specify details about the actual hardware and software platform (which might be also be referred to herein as an “infrastructure platform”) upon which the computing resource is instantiated. Rather, the customer might only be permitted to generically describe the desired computing resource. For example, in the case of virtual machine instances, a customer might be permitted to specify only the desired amount of memory, the desired level of processing capability, and a desired amount of storage. The network-based computing service then selects a particular hardware platform, such as a particular server computer, to utilize to instantiate the computing resource requested by the customer.
The disclosure made herein is presented with respect to these and other considerations.